But even without the excitement of Claire’s presence, Walter became more feverish, and by evening was talking wildly.  The excitement and anxiety he had gone through were as much responsible for this as the wound, and by midnight he knew no one.  The surgeon, who came over in the evening, ordered cloths constantly soaked with fresh water to be placed round his head, and that he should be given, whenever he desired it, barley water sharpened by apples boiled in it.

Mrs. Conyers and Larry sat, one on each side of his couch, and once or twice, when he was lying quiet, Claire was allowed to steal in and look at him; but at other times Mrs. Conyers kept her out of the room, for, in his feverish talk, Walter was constantly mentioning her name, and telling her he would come to her.

Mrs. Conyers was troubled and perplexed in her mind.  Regarding Claire as a child, and Walter as a lad of eighteen, the thought that any serious consequence would arise from their intercourse at the Hall had not occurred to her; but now she could not doubt that, on Walter’s part, at least, a serious attachment for her daughter had sprung up, and Claire’s face and manner told her a similar story.  She was but sixteen, but, having been her mother’s companion and friend, she was older than many girls of the same age.  Mrs. Conyers would rather that it had not been so, for she foresaw much sorrow for Claire.  She had thought that her daughter, as a wealthy heiress, would some day make a good match, and Walter, whose fortune, in any case, would be but a small one—­for she knew that his father’s estates had passed from the family—­was a soldier on the side she believed would be the losing one.  Still, she felt that he had earned a right to Claire, and resolved that, come what would, if it turned out that Claire’s affections were really given to the lad, she should have her support and championship with her father.

For two days the fever continued, and then the care of his watchers prevailed, and Walter sank into a quiet sleep, from which he awoke sensible and refreshed.

An answer had been received from Mr. Conyers, on the same afternoon that his wife’s letter was sent to him.  He had been in council with the king, when an officer came in with the news that some Hessians had ridden in, saying that the troop to which they belonged had ridden out to a large house, two miles beyond the spot at which the regiment was quartered, and had there been attacked by a body of Irish troops, who had killed all their officers, and three-quarters of the troop.

“Knowing where the regiment was quartered, it at once struck me that the house might be our own, and, on the trooper being brought in, I found that it was so, and obtained permission from the king to accompany the regiment of Danish horse, who were at once sent out.  The king gave stringent orders to the officer in command that the house was to be respected, and a guard was to be placed there to protect